1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a serial stamp printer and method for imprinting title, logo, author and other information on the cover or spine of a book, booklet, or the like, which is operable by personnel in the normal office environment.
2. Material Art
The majority of printing of titles, authors and other information on book bindings is accomplished by contract binderies and print shops in which a desired series of letters and type fonts are assembled in a jig, either by hand, with the use of an automatic typecaster, or by preparing an etched metal die from art work. The completed jig or slug of type or die is transferred to a printing position where an overall imprint, for example, of the book title, author, report name and number, is simultaneously imprinted on the front and spine of the book. Such systems are oft time complex and take a trained operator or printer to perform the printing functions. Turn-around time is a major problem. These systems are exemplified by a typewriter as in U.S. Pat. No. 879,814; U.S. Pat. No. 2,076,198; a graph plotter machine as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,651,400; a flat platen typewriter as in U.S. Pat. No. 2,687,795; a printer as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,695 employing X-Y movement; and No. 4,544,289 employing dry pressure inked tapes. Other U.S. Patents such as No. 4,277,186 disclose heat sensitive or thermal printing or heat transferable lettering to the workpiece. Commercial machines include the WEGO one line, two line and three line hot-foil printer; the Automark microprocessor controlled, computerized branding typewriter for hot stamping of plastics at programmable memory locations; the KWIKPRINT Model 86 hand operated stamper using type slugs; various Franklin stamping machines; and various Acromark hot stamping presses.